


The Kids Aren't All Right

by Narsil5



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Characters die, Far More Than Canon Typical Violence, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Post-Canon, Post-HTTYD 3 Canon Divergence, SORRY ZU, What Have I Done, ZU IM SORRY, also my friend zu they were traumatized as well, children are TRAUMATIZED, i went nuts, limbs are REMOVED, oh dear god, ohmygodifinishedit, post-HTTYD 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:01:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23111377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Narsil5/pseuds/Narsil5
Relationships: Astrid Hofferson & Stormfly, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Nuffink Haddock & Zephyr Haddock & Astrid Hofferson, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Toothless, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Zephyr Haddock, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson, Nuffink Haddock & Toothful (White NightLight), Nuffink Haddock & Toothless, Nuffink Haddock & Zephyr Haddock, Zephyr Haddock & Aura (Black NightLight with the white nose)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 7





	1. When It Rains, It Pours

“My father’s been what?” Karn asked in disbelief. He glared at the man that brought him the news, ignoring the fact that he was quite literally shaking in his boots. “You cannot be serious. Impossible.” He ran a hand through his light-blond hair and kicked a nearby rock. “What did it—no, my father could not be killed by a ‘what’. Who killed him?” 

“The-the boy chief, sir,” the man before him stammered, wringing his hands. “The one with the last of the Night Furies.” He took a quick step back as Karn advanced upon him. “I wasn’t there, sir, I don’t know much more--” 

His words were cut off by Karn slamming him against the wall. “If I wanted you to tell me about yourself, I would have asked,” He growled, holding the man up by the throat. “Now get out of my sight before I use you to release some. . .tension.” Karn let the man drop and watched as he gasped for breath and then fled. 

Karn stalked out of the arena through a separate entrance. He saw the three dragons that were still in their cages bashing against the bars, and out of curiousity he opened one. The dragon it had rushed out and flew off, which was not an unreasonable reaction. Karn opened another one, and the exact same thing happened. And when I say exact, I mean that it flew in the same direction as the first. An odd occurance, wouldn’t you think? And so Karn opened a third cage, and this one repeated the actions of the two before it. Karn chuckled to himself. “So,” He muttered, tilting his head at the retreating forms of the dragons. “The alpha has called them. Fascinating.” 

He walked on again, going to his father’s chambers. The Death Grippers were there, still waiting for a master that would never return. “I shall have to do, my lovelies,” Karn shrugged and gave them each another dosage of their own venom. “But don’t you worry,” He said softly, caressing the head of the last in the line. “We shall have our revenge soon. Soon. Your dear Grimmel will be avenged.” 

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ 

Ten years later, a little boy with messy blond hair and big green eyes was running through the forest, fleeing an unseen danger. He scrabbled over rocks and logs, but the footsteps behind him grew ever closer. “I’m going to get you!” Shouted a voice, and it was a voice of authority, echoing off the tree trunks. “You can’t escape me!” 

The boy tripped over a stone, landing sprawling on the ground. He scrabbled at the ground, but strong arms picked him up and hefted him over broad shoulders. “Put me down!” He squeaked, slapping at his capturer’s back. “Lemme go!” 

“Never!” Laughed the man, holding him out so they were face to face. 

The boy looked adoringly into the face of his father. “Tha’ were a good game, Dad!” 

“Yeah, yeah it was, little buddy,” Hiccup chuckled and held his son tight as he started walking home. “Someday you’ll be faster than I am, I think.” 

“Tha’s jes’ becos’ ye’ve got a metal leg,” Nuffink assured him. “If ye were whole, ye wouldn’t lose to a kid like meself.” 

“Hm, well, I think I'll take advantage of this while I can,” Hiccup said, suppressing laughter. His head snapped to the side as something rustled in the bushes. Wolves and boars were not unheard of on the island, so he made sure he had a good grip on his son before continuing to walk carefully forward. 

Nuffink, sensing the sudden tenseness in his father’s shoulders, held perfectly still, peering into the greens and greys and browns of the forest. The rustling noise sounded again, closer this time—indeed, it came from a bush right in their path. 

Hiccup set Nuffink down; slowly, quietly, then stepped in front of the boy. He drew his sword from its place on his leg and held it out. He did not light it, but it was a formidable blade, even without the flames running down its length. “Who’s there?” Hiccup said, loud enough to be heard by anything in the immediate vicinity. “Show yourself.” 

The bushes exploded, the leaves drifting every which way as the log wung forward. “What the-” Was all Hiccup had time to say before he was knocked backwards as the log swung forward like a battering ram. 

Nuffink had stepped to the side to get a look at what was happening, and therefore was exempt from the blow. His head snapped up from where his father lay in defeat upon the ground to where the log had come from. “Zephyr!” He cried joyously, jumping up and running over to her, a huge grin plastered over his face. “Are ye here to play wi’ us?” 

“No,” She said, lifting her head as if such things were beneath her, and that she had better things to do. “But mom says it’s time for dinner, if you two haven’t scavenged something up from out here.” 

“Food!” Nuffink cheered, and, father forgotten, he started running off through the last bit of woods before the village, calling back to his sister: “Catch me if ye can!” 

As the two raced off into the woods, Hiccup got back to his feet, sighing in exasperation and, of course, fatherly fondness. He picked his way through the underbrush back to the Haddock hut, where the finest stoneworker’s in the village were working on his father’s memorial. He smiled, sad and happy at once, and gave the workers a thumbs up. They waved back, then went back to chipping at the rock. 

Hiccup took a deep breath as he entered his hut. Zephyr and Nuffink were stirring something with an energy that Hiccup didn’t think was necessary, but it was adorable all the same. He ruffled both of his kids’ hair, making them duck away, complaining loudly. Astrid laughed from where she sat in a chair, taking a brief rest. “Hello, m’lady,” Hiccup bowed and swept off his helmet. “How are you this fine evening?” 

Just as she was going to answer him, alarm horns blasted outside. The call was repeated at all the posts on the island, rallying the villagers and warning them of danger. Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other, nodded, and then, in unison, said: “Zephyr, take your brother to Gobber’s. We’ll pick you up later.” 

The two children watched in confusion and a little bit of fear as their parents left, but they did as they were told. And their parents did as they promised, returning later—much later, two whole days later—but returning, nonetheless. 

But that was not the only time that warning signal rang out. No, it was only the beginning, only the start of a war that lasted for longer than people could stand. Death Grippers were a whispered phantom name, a thing murmured in your house in front of your fire with your doors locked, hoping that the thump on the roof was not one of them.


	2. All Those People I’ve Seen in Those Old Photographs Are Dead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

The morning of Zephyr’s sixteenth birthday was a nice one. The sun was shining, the birds were singing on the rooftops, all was well. She walked downstairs to breakfast in an unusually good mood, only for Hiccup to say: “Daughter. We need to talk.” 

“Dad, do we really? Or can I go take Nuffink’s hair ties again?” She tried to play it off at first, to deflect, but her father looked as serious as she had ever seen him, so she relented. “Alright, Dad, what’s up?” 

“You’re sixteen today,” He said thoughtfully, staring into the fire. Zephyr did not really know why the fire was burning that early in the morning, but her father often did funny things like that, so she did not question it too much. “Of age, all that.” 

“Yes,” said Zephyr, unsure of where this conversation was going. “Unless I’m worse at math than I thought.” 

“You’re older now, old enough to know what’s happening.” 

“You mean the battles? The people and the- the monsters? The ones that attack us?” Her eyes widened. “Dad, what are they? Why doesn’t Uncle Fishlegs talk about them without crying?” 

“To be fair,” Hiccup held up his hand for a brief intermission. “Your Uncle Fishlegs cries about a lot of things. But those aren’t monsters, Zeph,” He took a deep breath before continuing. “They’re dragons.” 

“Dragons?” She asked in disbelief, leaning away from him despite herself. “But you always said that the dragons were our friends! That one saved your life! These- these things are dragons?” 

“Not normal ones,” Hiccup said quickly, almost pained to hear those. . .creatures lumped in with the stories of Toothless. “No, not normal ones. They’re controlled- controlled by their own venom and, in turn, controlled by something—or, in this case, someone—else.” 

“Like Grimmel, the creepy tall guy from your stories,” Zephyr’s tone had mixed awe and horror in it. 

“Right,” Hiccup nodded, still looking into the flickering flames. “He died, if you remember. But apparently. . .well, he had a son.” It seemed almost as if the flames glowed a brighter red in that instant, with the mere mention of such horrible news. “His name is Karn,” Hiccup continued, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair. “He’s the one that’s been leading these attacks.” 

“We have to stop him!” Zephyr exclaimed, jumping to her feet. “Dad, can’t we do something about it?” 

“I could kill him,” Hiccup said dully. “Like I killed his father.” 

“Dad,” Zephyr said quietly. “It’s not like that.” 

“Isn’t it?” He looked up at her sadly. “He was sixteen when his father died. The same age you are now. Do you blame him for this, really?” 

“It’s been over a decade, we have to fight-” 

“No, we don’t,” Hiccup said firmly, standing so that his chair slid backwards on the floor, retracing old scratch marks. “There’s always another option, another way. A way to peace. Always remember that, Zephyr.” 

They sat in thoughtful silence for a while as Zephyr took her turn gazing into the flames. “Is that what you wanted to tell me?” She said at last. 

“Yes,” Hiccup said with a slight laugh. “Now c’mon, we do have a couple parties to attend.” 

On special occasions the Great Hall is decked out with the most vivid and colorful tapestries and paintings that the Vikings of New Berk were able to provide, and the coming-of-age ceremony for the Heir of Berk most certainly warranted the best of the best. Mural upon mural had been added, trying to copy the style and history of Old Berk. Of course, there were new things in this one too—a great big tapestry depicting Hiccup’s first meeting with Toothless, Astrid with her axe, and ones for all the other ex-Riders. 

But Zephyr’s favorite was the tiny one she and Nuffink had been allowed to do in a corner: it was a simple drawing of them with dragons. Zephyr with a Night Fury, just like her father, and Nuffink with a Light Fury, one that matched his strange ability to seemingly disappear. 

As he had now, Zephyr realized, for her younger brother was nowhere to be seen. She looked all around the packed Hall, still not seeing him. He wasn’t even up on the rafters—a place he had been able to access since he was ten years old. She smiled to remember the first time he went up there, four years ago now, and had to be retrieved by Gobber on a ladder. 

Of course, Nuffink decided to show up in the most unexpected place: right behind Zephyr. “’Ello, ‘ello!” He said, laughing. His hair—long enough now to be in a small ponytail, with two braids on the side—was a mess, as usual, which never ceased to amaze Zephyr, as his hairstyle was one of the most elaborate ones she had seen. “Did I scare ye on yer big day?” 

“No,” She scoffed, bonking him on the head none to gently. “You’re too scrawny to be scary, you limp noodle.” 

“I’m hurt,” He pouted and swatted her hand away. “Anyway, stop it, you’re messin’ up me hair!” 

“You mess up your hair, Mr. I’m-Gonna-Smash-My-Skull-Into-Things!” Zephyr laughed, ruffling it up even more. 

A horn blew, the doors opened, and Hiccup entered. Cheers greeted him, slaps on the back from older Vikings such as Spitelout; arm punches from Snotlout, a bone-crushing hug from Fishlegs—no one knows quite what the twins were doing, but they were enthusiastic about it. He took his place at the head of the table, with Astrid on his right and his mother behind him. He stood, shoulders squared to the people, and raised his arms for silence—and silence he got. He then looked over to where Zephyr and Nuffink stood in one of the front rows of people. A smile spread across his face, and he waved Zephyr over. 

She walked up, butterflies in her stomach, and stood on her father’s left. Hiccup grabbed her hand and lifted it up, and the crowd broke into cheers again. “My daughter,” Hiccup said, after letting them be loud for a few moments. “Is grown up now. She has grown up to be good at what she does, and eventually, I think she will make a good cheiftess.” 

“Hopefully not anytime soon!” someone in the crowd called out, and a ripple of laughter followed. Hiccup joined in with it. “No, not anytime soon, if all goes well. But, rest assured, she will do a wonderful job when the time comes. So, I would like to officially announce her as my heir—even though it has been well known. Traditions are interesting.” 

Another ripple of laughter, but this one died as dust was shaken off the roof. An uneasy silence followed—surely, there wouldn’t be an attack today of all days? No, if must be something else. Everyone stared upwards with bated breath. 

Then all hell broke loose. Flames spurted through the cracks in the ceiling, rafters collapsed, creatures began jumping around the wreckage. Hiccup shoved Zephyr to the floor, getting between her and the nearest Death Gripper. Nuffink was already on the ground, pinned by a large table. 

“Dad!” Zephyr screamed as the beast lunged. 

Hiccup reached out to grab the tail, catching it just above the stinger. Man and dragon stood there for a moment in a stale mate, glaring at each other. One was protecting their master; the other, their child. 

But while parental instincts are strong, there is only so much to be done about a frothing at the mouth, muscular dragon when you are a one-legged runt—grown though you may be. Slowly, Hiccup was pushed back and down, and with the last bit of energy he shoved Zephyr away with his metal leg so that the sword always sheathed there skidded over to Zephyr. He down at her. 

Then several things happened at once. 

The Death Gripper gave a scream of triumph, Zephyr grabbed the sword, Hiccup yelled the Berkian war cry, and Nuffink howled in anguish. As Nuffink howled the tail of the Death Gripper plunged downwards with an unholy strength, piercing through leather, fur, and skin—then back again, and to Zephyr’s horror she could see the tip of the tail sticking out of her father’s back. She looked into his face, tears glistening in her eyes. 

Hiccup offered his daughter one last smile, and that is how he fell. His eyes went dead as the beast yanked its tail back, and Hiccup landed on the ground with a thud, eyes open but unseeing, lips parted in a smile but with blood trickling out the side. 

Before Zephyr could do anything—scream, cry, gasp, anything—something blocked her vision; and something hit the back of her head. Hard. Everything went black. The last thing she heard was a strangled scream from Nuffink, and then there was nothing.


	3. Bad Trip I Couldn't Get Off

“Zephyr, it’s time to get up,” Astrid’s voice drifted in one of Zephyr’s ears and out the other as she lay in her warm bed, with all its blankets and pillows. “Time to get up, girl. Time to-” 

“Zephyr!” Zephyr frowned as her mother’s calm voice was replaced by her brother’s panicked one. “Zephyr get up! Get up, please!” Nuffink shook her shoulder with urgency. “Get up, quick!” 

Zephyr rolled over, looking into Nuffink’s eyes. “What?” Instead of her warm room, there were wet planks under her, and ropes around her wrists. She woke up a little more. “What? Where-?” 

“I don’t know,” Nuffink’s green eyes were wide with fear, and his normally joyous face marred with a terrible sadness. “They took you, and then they took me. The Death Grippers, I mean.” He scooted backwards so that Zephyr had more space to sit up and look around. “I woke up all tied an’ stuff, an’ I don’t--” His voice cracked, and he looked like he was holding back tears. “I saw—I saw Mum die,” He blinked furiously, looking away. “An’ I dunno if Da--” 

“He didn’t,” Zephyr said with certainty. Awful, terrible certainty, but certainty, nonetheless. The blood, the scream of the beast, the emptiness in her father’s eyes—no, there was no denying the death of Chief Hiccup of Berk, Old and New. “They got him too.” 

Nuffink stopped trying to hide it. He wept, pulling his knees to his chest. Zephyr gently bumped her knees against his, offering the little comfort she could with her hands bound behind her back. 

They stayed there like that, just the two of them, until dust began to shake from the ceiling above them. That was when Nuffink noticed something, and that something was that the floor was tilting back and forth, back and forth. “Zephyr,” he said, rubbing his runny nose on his pants before looking up and around him again. “Zeph, we’re on a boat.” 

“We are?” Zephyr looked up as well, her eyes just a bit redder than they had been earlier. She listened for just a second, taking in the sound of waves slapping the sides of the boat. “We are. Where, do you think?” 

“He can’t answer that,” said a new voice. “But I can.” The owner of this voice was a tall, lanky man who was leaning quite casually against the doorframe. He spoke with an accent that Zephyr and Nuffink hadn’t heard before, and a drawl, which Nuffink wasn’t sure about. It might have been real; it may have been mocking. You never know with southerners. 

“And who, pray tell, are you?” Zephyr said, elbowing her brother back and scooting forward so she was between him and the man. “And why have you dared lay hands upon the children of Chief Haddock, his Heir? And also, his son?” 

“Thanks,” Nuffink muttered, on his back on the floor. He seemed to be a bit like a turtle; it was difficult for him to get up from this position. “’And also, his son’--loads o’ recognition there, sis.” 

“What,” Zephyr continued, ignoring her brother. “Give you the right to commit this foul and, frankly, unnecessary atrocity?” 

The man looked at her. He looked at her long and hard. Then he started laughing. It began slow, slow and quiet, and then grew. It grew and it grew, and it grew, until the laugh filled the damp hold. “The right? Let me ask you this, girl.” He crouched down in front of Zephyr, and it took every ounce of will in her body not to lean back and away from this strange laughing man. “What gave your father—the one you’re so proud to be the Heir of—the right to kill mine? Hm?” He tilted his head as he rolled back on his heels. 

“Oh, my gods,” Zephyr breathed. “Your dad. . .was Grimmel.” 

This statement was too hushed for her brother to hear, and Nuffink was now sure the drawl was mocking. “No one’s got the righ’ to kill anyone,” He said, though it probably wasn’t very convincing, given his circumstances. “So why don’t ye--” He gave a helpful nod at Karn. “Let us--” He nodded at Zephyr and wiggled a bit. “Go! Simple, yeh?” 

“Not so simple, young one,” Karn stood up and smiled condescendingly. “For in your case, it is not a case of simplicity, but a case of revenge. And, of course, revenge is never simple.” 

“Hey, your dad attacked us!” Nuffink protested, wiggling back and forth on the floor like so many noodles. “Me dad were only protectin’ his island, leave us alone for that. Wasn’ me an’ Zeph’s fault.” 

“You have a fitting name,” Karn said, walking out the door. “Because your words mean nothing to me.” His footsteps could be heard going up the ladder onto deck, and in a mere few minutes two more men came down and grabbed Zephyr and Nuffink. 

“Ay, what gives?” Nuffink said when they pushed him through the door. “I was already headin’ through tha,’ no need to push me.” The man pushed him again. “Watch yerself, I ain’t ‘fraid of fightin’ ya-” Another shove. “Alrigh’, ‘m movin’, I‘m movin’.” 

The deck was slippery from rain, and darker clouds were moving in from the east. “You see that?” Karn pointed at the cliffs of New Berk rising in the distance. The clouds were already over them; soon they would be invisible. “That’s the last you are ever going to see of your home.” 

“What are you going to do to them?” Zephyr said, struggling to get away from the sailor holding her back. It was a vain attempt, but it was at least valiant. 

“Oh, nothing,” Karn said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I don’t care about them. They can go back to their mundane lives. It’s you two that I’ve got a grudge against, and so it’s you two that should worry.” He raised a hand and something splashed into the water on the port side of the boat. 

Nuffink and Zephyr were led to the edge and made to lean over. It was a little boat—so small it didn’t even have a mast. It was basically an enlarged rowboat. There were two oars laid across the two benches. The oars didn’t appear to be in what could be called ‘pristine condition’; indeed, they looked rather like they were made of rotting wood. Though, it did make them match the boat. 

“This shall be your funeral pyre,” Karn said, a crooked grin spreading across his face. “The one my father never received, you two shall have.” 

“What’s that mean-” Nuffink began to ask, before a kick to the back sent him flying overboard. He saw the water and the little wooden boat rushing towards him, and then he must have hit his head upon landing, because he saw nothing after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zu, I put "like so many noodles" in here. that makes it a funny fic. It's legal.
> 
> Addi, *I threw shade about the south.* For any other southerners reading this: its not about you and im SORRY


	4. Stuck In The Jetwash

“Nuffink!” Zephyr said in a panic, shaking her brother desperately. “Nuffink wake up!” She was right next to him, but then a flaming arrow hit the bottom of the boat right in between them, and she lurched backwards. The flames flickered and began spreading slowly over the wooden planks of the boat. 

“Nuffink, you need to get up right now!” She yelled as Karn’s ships went over the horizon. They had sent the Haddock’s to an early grave; they had no more reason to stick around. “Nuffink, we’re going to die if you don’t get up right now, get UP!” 

“Hm?” He muttered, his green eyes opening slowly. “’S it breakfas’?” 

“No!” Zephyr yelled, her terror making her angry. “No, Nuffink! We’re in a boat, and the boat’s on fire! We have no breakfast!” 

“Holy mother of Thor-” Nuffink swore, waking up fully and scrambling away from the fire that was growing between him and his sister. “Uh, oh gods, wha’ do we do, wha’ do we do—water! We need water!” 

“Yeah, but we don’t have a bucket, and the stuff we can cup in our hands isn’t going to stop this!” Zephyr said hysterically, stomping on a stray spark that got within her range and wasn’t big enough to be threatening yet. But the bulk of the fire was still going strong, nearly obscuring her brother’s face. 

“The storm!” Nuffink yelled, realizing that the black clouds were moving in fast. “The storm, Zeph! It’ll put it out--” His words devolved into a coughing fit, and he pulled his shirt over his nose to block the smoke as best he could. 

“What?” Zephyr yelled back. The crackling of the flames had cut her brother off; she hadn’t heard anything after ‘the storm’. The smoke rose and turned the sky a deadly black—but then she realized that that wasn’t just smoke, that was storm clouds. The storm, she thought, what her brother had been trying to say finally clicking as the rain began pelting down around them. 

The fire hissed and spat and sizzled, but the relentless torrent won out eventually, leaving the two young Haddocks with smoked lungs and a burnt boat, but alive. The teenagers sat there gasping in the middle of that horrible storm, pretending that the danger was past, pretending that the waves didn’t crash, that the wind didn’t blow, and that the lightning didn’t make its deadly tracks across the sky. 

“Well,” Nuffink said, after both had had a chance to catch their breath. “That was awful.” His hair, once so messy that it was the joke of the village, now lay plastered down flat and dripping salty water into his eyes. He shook his head, and normally Zephyr would have yelled at him, but it didn’t exactly make a difference with the torrential rain. “What do we do now?” 

Zephyr hadn’t stopped taking deep breaths. “Besides praying to Thor, I’ve got no plans. What are we supposed to do in this type of situation? Go fishing?” She laughed hysterically. “Nuffink, what are we doing?” 

“Yer guess is as good as mine,” He shrugged. Lightning crackled and came down to earth—unfortunately the earth right next to the Haddocks. It hit the water, hissing and spitting upon contact. Nuffink leaned away and towards his sister on instinct, nearly capsizing the boat in the choppy waters. 

“Just--” Zephyr’s voice caught in her throat as the boat finally stabilized. Well, stabilized is a relative term. They were still being thrown around in a Nordic storm, but it was better than it had been. “Just hold as still as possible, ok Fink?” 

“Yeh,” Nuffink nodded, and if it hadn’t gone against everything Zephyr knew about her brother, she would have said that he looked nauseous. “Yeh, I think I’ll do tha’. Thanks.” 

The sat there, in that half-burned boat in the middle of the wild raging sea, for what felt to be a lifetime before the last crack of thunder faded into the distance. Nuffink, with powers behind Zephyr’s comprehension, had managed to fall asleep in the floor of the boat, propped against the bench opposite Zephyr herself. 

The water was calm now, eerily calm, as if nothing had ever happened. The drifted slowly along—at least, that’s what Zephyr thought was happening. After a little bit she realized something. The boat was actually moving quite fast, even making a little wake behind it. “Nuffink.” She said, looking at the wake and shaking him. “Nuffink, wake up. Something’s wrong.” 

“As if anythin’s right,” He muttered. “What’s been added to the pile?” He looked around at the blank sea. “We caught in some sorta current, then?” 

“A strong one,” Zephyr nodded and grabbed one of the half-rotten oars. “Get the other. We’re going to fight it.” 

“Why?” Nuffink asked, but despte this seeming disagreement he did get the other oar and started paddling along with his sister. “Ye never know, it might take us somewhere friendly.” 

“Like where?” Zephyr asked, beginning to dip her oar in and out of the water with a precise rhythm. Nuffink copied her as best he could, but he wasn’t quite as dexterous as the elder Haddock. “What friendly place could we possibly be near?” 

“I don’ know,” Nuffink shrugged as his oar entered the water with far more noise than was at all necessary. “There’re sometimes funny things happenin’, out in the Archipelago.” 

“Our parents getting murdered and us getting kidnapped and thrown out to sea to die isn’t funny, Nuffink.” Zephyr said coldly, her own oar entering with barely a ripple. The two of them were paddling with all their strength—Zephyr's more than Nuffink’s, if we’re being honest—but seemed not to be making any headway against the relentless current. 

“I didn’t say that!” Nuffink protested. “I didn’t say that at all! Why would you--” 

“I’m sorry, Fink,” Zephyr interrupted, and she looked it. “I just--I'm tired. Really tired.” 

“It’s alrigh’--” Nuffink stopped mid-sentence to tilt his head and listen. The salt of the sea water had crusted in his hair making it stick up quite firmly away from his head. “What is that?” 

“What’s what?” Zephyr asked, straining her ears. 

A distant roar filled the air, a crashing, rumbling roar, the sound of a waterfall many times over. “That.” Nuffink said, as if it wasn’t obvious. Rocks suddenly jutted out of the ocean, ledges over a bottomless pit. “We should probably scream now,” Nuffink noted, peering over the edge and feeling that strange calm you feel in the face of something terrifying. 

They did just that. Their pitiful excuse for a boat was shattered to smithereens after they smashed into a rock, but Nuffink and Zephyr kept right on plummeting into that stifling blackness. They were sure that at any moment a rock or other sharp thing would impale them, but that moment kept getting postponed for longer and longer as they descended. 

Nuffink was just about to give up on screaming when he landed. He felt as if every bone in his body had been broken, and another hard thump next to him confirmed Zephyr’s landing. “Ow,” She muttered, rolling over. 

Nuffink copied her and started moving various limbs to check their usefulness and functionality. “I feel like the mighty Thor himself used me for target practice,” He groaned and flopped back down. “How’re ye?” 

“Same,” Several of Zephyr’s joint’s cracked as she said this. “Good gods, where are we?” 

It looked like nothingness incarnate, just blackness all around. Each Haddock was finding their sibling by sound only, but other than that there was an eerie silence. Being pre-occupied by this, neither noticed when a faint rumbling noise started up. Neither teen noticed until it was right behind them, and when they spun around a strange sight greeted them. 

Glowing blue patterns were all around them, little stripes and points. Two pairs of green eyes stared the humans down, and one of blue went with them. Zephyr and Nuffink backed into each other, back to back. Their breathing matched in pace and panic, and one thing lunged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bonus points if you guys yell at me in the comments :D


	5. To The Pitch Black Streets

Nuffink felt himself suddenly knocked over—and then he was air born. There was nothing solid beneath his feet, just empty dark air. He kicked furiously, but there was nothing to kick at. He flailed his arms, but there were claws wrapped around his upper arms. He gave up—it wasn’t like there was anything he could do, anyway—and simply dangled there. 

Behind him, Zephyr had been subjected to much the same treatment, except that, in a fit of courage, she remembered her father’s sword and clicked it on. The flames held the staring eyes at bay for only a second, but the thing was faster than she was, and so it jumped behind her and grabbed her from there. 

They flew—for, from the flapping of wings, that was what they were doing—on and on, and slowly little lights appeared, giving just enough light off to show towering rock towers and little nooks and crannies. Nuffink looked up to see the chest of a great white beast, but when he looked to the side the talons gripping his shoulders were black. 

Zephyr found the opposite; the talons of her capturer were white, and its chest black. She frowned—this didn’t match with any beast Hiccup had told her about. She twisted around, trying to get a good look at it, but just then she was rudely dropped onto another rock platform. 

“If I get thrown offa somethin’ one more time today,” Nuffink grumbled, standing up with some difficulty. “Imma fight someone--” 

It seemed that his fighting wish was granted. A great black creature, with venom green eyes and bared teeth pounced on him. Nuffink looked up in horror at the blue glow and the smoke in the back of the creature’s throat, preparing for the final shot. 

Nuffink raised his hand in a pitiful act of self-defense, and just then the roaring of the beast seemed to falter, then go still. The blue died. And then something incredible happened: the black creature remembered, remembered what twenty years had done its best to forget, and put his nose on the boy's outstretched hand. 

Zephyr gasped, looking at the tail. “Fink,” She said softly, though her brother stayed frozen in shock and terror as the black dragon—for dragon it was—rested its nose on Nuffink’s hand, remembering. “Fink, this—this is Dad’s work. The tail. . .this--this is Toothless.” 

Nuffink looked at Toothless in disbelief. The dragon’s green eyes, that just moments ago were filled with anger, were now left with a soft, eager look. “This cannae be him. No.” 

“But it is!” Zephyr insisted, crawling carefully back around. She lifted the tail up, and to Nuffink’s surprise Toothless didn’t move at all. He seemed almost happy to let them touch him. “See?” 

“Holy mother of Odin,” Nuffink breathed. “Yer right,” He looked at Toothless closely. “So, yer the famous Night Fury, eh? Me dad’s best friend of five years, huh?” 

Toothless wiggled happily, finally backing away from Nuffink a little bit. He sniffed all around the little cavern, and as he did so Nuffink saw a regal looking white dragon—the Light Fury, he realized. And the two dragons that had grabbed him and Zephyr must be Fury mixes—plus the one that stood next to his mother. Nuffink laughed a little—Toothless had been raising a family, just like Hiccup had been. 

Toothless apparently hadn’t found what he had been looking for, because he came back to Nuffink and sat down—human-style—in front of him, licking his nose expectantly. 

“What do you want?” Nuffink said softly, looking at the rough black scales mere inches from his own face and not feeling even an ounce of the fear that was present earlier. “What is it?” 

Toothless roared softly—or, at least, that is the only way that Nuffink could think to describe that noise of longing, without calling it whining, which seemed a little unfit for a creature of this size. 

“Fink,” Zephyr said quietly from where she was watching. “I think--I think he wants Dad.” 

Nuffink looked at her, eyes wide. Then he realized that that did make sense, so he turned back to Toothless. “Is tha’ what ye want? Our dad? Hiccup. Ye knew him as Hiccup.” 

Toothless did the soft roar again; except this time, it was more excited than pleading. He blinked at Nuffink a few times and tilted his head, waiting for an answer. 

“Oh, gods,” Nuffink said, looking down at his feet. “Toothless, he’s--he’s--dead. He’s dead.” 

Toothless blinked again, unsure. 

“He’s dead,” Nuffink said a little louder. His voice increased in volume. “He’s dead, an’ I couldn’ stop it.” A sharp intake of breath; and Nuffink’s voice was quiet again, so quiet that Zephyr couldn’t hear it. But Toothless could. “He’s gone.” 

Toothless stood there, and for a second Nuffink thought that he hadn’t understood. Then a roar—a full on, angry, remorseful roar—filled the cavern, revibrating off the rocks and the water that was rushing below. Toothless’ pupils went back to slits and he hissed, spun around, and took off into the gloom. 

The four remaining dragons held still for a moment, then the Light Fury took off after him. The third Fury—the one that hadn’t grabbed either one of the Haddocks—went with her. Two, however, stayed, and looked at the teenagers before them. 

One, the one that Nuffink had been nabbed by, was mostly white, with black spines, horn tips, and feet. Its green eyes met Nuffink’s, and its mouth was open slightly to reveal sharp teeth. 

The other was the exact opposite—with white feet and horns and a little white spot on her nose. From what Zephyr could tell, green eyes were male and blue eyes were female. This one licked her nose just like it’s father had and blinked at Zephyr curiously. 

“Nuffink,” said Zephyr, a bit uneasy under the gaze of the dragons. “What do you think they want?” 

Nuffink, however, didn’t answer. He was as one in a trance, staring right back at the white Fury. He advanced slowly, with his hand out. 

The dragon blinked but held its ground as the small one approached. He smelled interesting, like fur and sea and. . .something else. Something that it only smelt on it’s own father, once. When the Night Fury thought about the human. Could this one be missing the human too? That must be it. 

All of this ran through the creature’s mind as the skinny hand was held out. Well, if it really was missing the funny human, then maybe this was also a funny human. The hand came closer, then held still. The boy looked the dragon in the eyes, and the dragon put his nose on the hand.


	6. It's Our Time Now If You Want It To Be

“Zephyr, c’mon, this is gonna be great,” Nuffink, despite everything that had happened, was excited about getting the dragons to let them near. He had managed to get the white one to stay still whilst being pet, and even roll over for belly rubs. It acted a lot like Toothless had according to his father’s stories—but there was something else there too, something wilder and less friendly. 

No, it wasn’t directed at Nuffink, but it definitely came from having grown up around dragons. “Why do ye think that is?” Nuffink asked Zephyr on their first night down in those caves as they watched the luminescent lights flicker and shimmer. 

“Well, Toothless was the last Night Fury,” Zephyr had answered after a beat. “Which means he really didn’t have a family to copy. These did. Toothless must’ve. . .must’ve copied Dad, I think.” 

Nuffink nodded, and that had been the end of that discussion. They had fallen asleep eventually, and they had found themselves lying against the two NightLights—so Nuffink called them—that had remained. 

Then Nuffink had an idea. A reckless, crazy idea, but an idea, nonetheless. His father had ridden a dragon after gaining its trust, so why couldn’t he? 

“We don’t have saddles, Nuffink,” Zephyr said. She was more hesitant about the whole thing, possible because the only other dragons she had seen were Death Grippers. But, in the end she consented, standing next to White Nose. Again, Nuffink’s name for it. 

“That’s a terrible name, Fink,” She said disdainfully. “I’m going to call her something good. Like Aura.” 

“How do ya know it’s a girl?” Nuffink looked apprehensively at the two of them standing side by side. 

“I can just tell,” Zephyr shrugged and scratched Aura’s neck. “Yours is a boy, you’ll be pleased to know.” 

“Wicked,” Nuffink said, tilting his head at the white dragon that was doing the same thing, as if mirroring Nuffink. “What’d’ya wanna be called, eh?” 

The dragon simply smiled that toothy smile at Nuffink, eyes almost as bright with excitement as Nuffink’s were. 

Nuffink laughed a tiny bit. “Me dad named yer dad because he smiled with no teeth, but you smile with yer teeth.” He thought for a second before continuing: “How’s about ‘Toothful’ for a name, then?” 

Toothful apparently liked that, licking Nuffink before jumping around a bit. Nuffink held his hand out, and Toothful stopped, looking attentively at the boy. “We’re gonna get back at Karn,” Nuffink whispered in the dragon’s ear, no longer laughing. “An’ we’re gonna make sure he pays for harmin’ our fathers.” 

And so, he named his dragon Toothful, for while his father and his father's dragon's goal had been peace, his was a bite, a bit of revenge. 

“Now,” Nuffink said, loud enough now that his sister could hear him. “I think we can jes’. . .hop on.” 

“Really?” Zephyr snorted. “That’s your plan? Just jump on the dragons we only met yesterday?” 

“Have you got a better one?” Nuffink fired back, giving her a glare that he had inherited from his mother. “’Cos I’m takin’ ideas, here.” 

Zephyr thought for a moment, but didn’t have an answer, so she just shrugged. “Alright. But if we die because of this, I’ll never forgive you.” 

“Zeph, I think we’ve been doin’ lotsa things that should’ve killed is in the past few days,” Nuffink pointed out. “If we haven’ died yet, I think we’re immortal.” 

“Just not for long.” Zephyr sighed and patted Aura. “Well, here goes nothing.” She hadn’t been able to think of any use for her father’s sword yet, so she tucked it in one of her skirt pockets as she got onto Aura carefully. 

Aura held perfectly still, unsure of what to do. Toothful, on the other hand, shot off into the dark as soon as he felt the unfamiliar weight upon his back. 

Nuffink let out an embarrassingly high scream and within seconds had his arms wrapped tightly around the dragon’s neck. “Toothful, I realize this migh’ be a little soon, but please don’ kill me on me first flight.” He whispered once he managed to get some breath in his lungs. Toothful whipped around another rock column and suddenly there was light all around them. 

See-through orbs that Nuffink—once he opened his eyes again—saw had unhatched dragons in them lit up as they glided by, flocks of tiny, red-hot dragons buzzed around, and just below the surface of the water two-headed sea dragons swam gracefully, with intricate patterns upon their backs giving off a soft light. 

“Woah,” Nuffink breathed, trying to take in everything at once. Toothful had stopped careening around, as if now understanding that having Nuffink upon his back wasn’t really that big a deal. “This place. . .even Da’s stories didn’t do it enough credit.” 

Toothful rumbled happily. Just as Nuffink decided he had the hang of this flying thing Toothful shot upwards towards the ceiling. They went through a tunnel that’s sides were lined with glowing goo and reflecting rocks, so the whole thing was blue. Toothful did a loop-de-loop as he came out the other side, and Nuffink nearly fell off. “Do ye have to keep doin’ that?” Nuffink said, feeling a little nauseous. 

Toothful paid him no mind and continued onward, towards a huge white crystal. He landed there, and Nuffink could see almost everything in all directions. “This is wha’ Da said was the ‘Great Hall’ of the dragons, is tha’ righ’?” He asked Toothful quietly. Toothful snorted, and Nuffink was unsure of what that meant, so he took it for a yes. 

The sound of claws landing on rock came from behind them, and Nuffink spun around to see Zephyr and Aura landing gracefully. “You two did such stupid tricks for your first time flying together,” Zephyr scolded Nuffink. “You’ve got to be more careful.” 

“I lived, didn’t I?” Nuffink challenged, grinning. “Anyway, at least Toothful carried me. How long did it take ye to get Aura goin’?” 

“Shut up,” Zephyr huffed. “So, can we be serious now?” 

“I ‘spose yer gonna make me.” Nuffink shrugged and sat down. The rock’s surface was cool and smooth. Toothful and Aura started wrestling a few feet away. 

“What are we going to do?” Zephyr asked. “I mean, Mom and Dad are gone, so the throne of Berk. . .that’s me, my job, I mean. I can’t just let Gran down—also, everybody probably thinks we’re dead. We have to get back.” 

“Yeh, but wha’ ‘bout Karn? He’s out to kill us, an’ if he finds out we’re not dead an’ back on Berk then he’s jes’ gonna go after us again,” Nuffink looked down. “There’s no tellin’ wha’ he’ll do to everyone this next time.” 

“So what?” Zephyr looked at him until he looked up again and made eye contact. “You want us to just- just hide? Abandon everyone? Nuffink, remember, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few--” 

“No!” Nuffink yelled. The interruption shocked Zephyr into silence. He took a deep breath and said, calmer now: “I’m-I’m not sayin’ we should hide. I’m sayin’ we should fight.” 

“What?” Zephyr looked startled. “Nuffink, you’ve had lots of bad ideas over your life, but this is the worst.” 

“It is not,” He huffed. 

“Well then, what was?” 

“. . .” He thought for a minute but didn’t come up with anything, so he just shrugged instead. “I don’ know. But it’s our best option, Zephyr. We’ve got dragons now. We can at leas’ make a den’.” 

“A den?” She frowned. He had almost been making sense for a minute there. 

“A dent,” He said, frowning as he emphasized the ‘t’. “Hones’ly, ye’d think ye’d pick up on me accent after fourteen years.” 

“Alright, I’m sorry,” She put her hands up apologetically. “And fine, you do make a good point. But, how do we figure out how many ships he has? How much artillery? There’s no way we can get all that information on our own.” 

“Who’s gonna help us, though?” Nuffink asked. “There’s no one in our corner, an’ no one at home that can do us any good. It’s jus’ us, Zeph, just the two of us agains’ the world.” 

She took a deep breath, and didn’t move or give any sign or agreement or disagreement, for a long enough time that Nuffink began to get nervous. Then, suddenly, she did nod. “We should do a scouting mission in the morning.” 

“How do ye tell if it is or isn’ mornin’ down here?” Nuffink looked around almost as if searching for a clock or other sign of the time. There was none. 

“We’ll just sleep when the dragons sleep,” Zephyr brushed off his question. “You do need your rest, though. You’re still growing and whatever.”


	7. Bring On The Rapture

“Zephyr, hurry up!” Nuffink said from atop Toothful. The dragon had perched upon one of the great rocks at the edge of the waterfall and was now looking out upon the sea’s expanse with wonder. Nuffink realized this was probably the first time that Toothful had been out of The Hidden World. 

“I’m not a stupid dare-devil like you, so shut up,” Zephyr yelled as she and Aura came up through the mists. A few Terrible Terrors squawked at them as they went past, but a single growl from Aura and they scattered. “You really should slow down, you know. We only started flying yesterday.” 

“Karn isn’ gonna slow down. He isn’ gonna wait for us to learn, once he fin’s us. An’ he will fin’ us, Zeph,” Nuffink looked her in the eyes. “He is gonna, even’ually. We can delay the ‘nevitable, but not forever. No’ for’ver.” 

Zephyr took a shaky breath. “Alright, ok. We’ll go. Where do you think he is now?” 

“Well, if I were him,” Nuffink took off. Any chance that Zephyr had of hearing his thoughts rode upon her following him, and so she did. “If I were him, I would hang out ‘round New Berk for a ‘lil while, jus’ to see tha’ we didn’ come back. So we shoul’ check there first--” 

“But he thinks we’re dead,” Zephyr pointed out. “Everyone thinks we’re dead. That’s what your whole plan is riding one, Nuffink. That we’re supposed to be dead. So, if we’re seen by anyone that has any reason to go near, they’ll recognize us, and then we’re screwed. We would be as good as dead, then.” 

“Well, I guess,” Nuffink said, slowly. “I guess we’re jus’ gonna have ta not be seen. I dunno. If you come up with a good way ta do this, lemme know. But we gotta get him away from New Berk, so people don’ see an’ try to help.” 

“I think, that maybe, if people at home saw two people riding dragons, they would think they were seeing ghosts or something,” Zephyr said rather dryly. 

“Well, maybe,” Nuffink admitted. “But jus’ the superstitious ones. Maybe Uncle Snotlou’ would—no, not him. Ruffnu’ orTuffnu’--no, not them either. Alrigh’, ye’ve got a point. But, we still gotta stay outta the sight o’ the village.” 

“Agreed. And, have you put any thought into our attack plan?” 

“None much,” said Nuffink with a crooked smile. “Y’see, seein’ as ye were always the one payin’ ‘tenttion when Mum were doin’ her strategy talks, I was thinkin’ tha’ I coul’ leave tha’ bit to ye--” 

“You snake!” Zephyr exploded. “You dragged me all the way out—wherever we are—and you want me to come up with a plan! For your hare-brained idea! It’s an outrage! I swear to Thor, when we get home--” 

“So ye’ll do it?” Nuffink grinned at her. 

“Fine. Fine, I will,” She muttered. “But I’m not happy about it, you under-grown runt.” 

“Am I an under-grown run, or am I an over-grown worm?” Nuffink asked airily. 

“You’re both. Both at once. You little rat.” Zephyr huffed and tried to ignore him. 

“Love you too, big sis,” Nuffink laughed and darted through a cloud to avoid his sister’s wrath. 

They did that for a while, just flying about and being—well, being kids. There was no one to tell them to stop it, to calm down, to behave as children of the chief should. Not that their father’s expectations had been unreasonable; it is just in the habit of children to dislike being told what they are to do. 

But Zephyr was an adult as of a few days ago, and though growing up is a long, long road, she was further along the path of it than Nuffink, and the lack of guidance disturbed her. The weight of responsibility was heavy upon her shoulders already, and she was anxious to get back to her home. 

Nuffink, however, felt light as a bird as he soared through those clouds. He understood, now, his father’s wistful gaze when he would tell tales of flying. What he did not understand was how his father could let this go, this freedom, this weightlessness. There was nothing holding him back now, and that made him whoop for joy as Toothful looped through yet another cloud bank. 

“Nuffink,” Zephyr called, dragging him back to the realities of life and their situation. “Nuffink, we should land and rest before it gets light out.” She pointed at an island just below them, with great mountains rising, peaked with snow. “That looks like a good place, we’ll have plenty of shelter beneath the trees. 

“Alrigh’,” Nuffink said reluctantly, taking a last look at the fading stars. “I ‘spose ye know best.” He pulled Toothful into a steep dive, and they landed clumsily upon the rocks at the edge of a cliff. 

Aura and Zephyr landed smoothly next to the two of them, and Aura sneezed just a bit. Zephyr thought that it was much less violent than even her own, and considering as it came from a dragon’s nose, she wondered about that. 

“I’ll go set up camp, you can go take a bath,” Zephyr wrinkled her nose when her brother bumped his shoulder into hers as a greeting. 

“Tha’s insultin’,” He raised an eyebrow but wandered off. He paused a short distance away and turned around. “While I’m out ‘ere I think I’ll make meself a bow. It’ll be nice fer when we act’lly get goin’ on this quest o’ ours. Ye need any weapon tha’ I can make?” 

“No, thanks,” Zephyr shook her head. “I got Dad’s sword. That’s all I need.” 

Nuffink’s jaw dropped. “Ye mean ye’ve had tha’ thing the whole time we been out ‘ere an’ ye jus’ now mention it?” 

“It never really came up,” Zephyr shrugged and pulled it out. “But, yes, it’s here.” 

“Yer jus’ like how the Twins describe Da,” Nuffink huffed. “Random sword outta nowhere. Wha’ am I ‘sposed to do wi’ ye, Magic Haddock two-point-oh?” 

“Nothing,” Zephyr laughed and put the sword back in its place. “You go make yourself a bow, mister.”


	8. Former Heroes Who Quit Too Late

“’Make yerself a bow’,” Nuffink muttered to himself. “Tha’d be great, given as I coul’ fin’ myself a frickin’ scrap o’ leather. Don’ have any, an’ I don’ have the time to make some.” He angrily slapped a branch away to clear his path. “Why’d I think this was a good idea--” The branch snapped back and smacked him in the face. “Fer the love of Thor—tha's it. Clearly, the gods hate me. Some people lose their keys or their lunch—not me! I manage to lose an entire village!” 

He stumbled through the woods. Pines stretched their limbs out and the needles covered any grass that may have grown. Dead trees were havens for shaggy green moss, and little animals scurried about underneath the ferns and bushes. 

After some time, he made it out of that forest, and found himself up at the top of a great cliff. The cliff’s edges were staggered, giving it the appearance of a giant, uneven staircase. After he took all that in, Nuffink noticed something else. 

There were houses. 

Five huts, with paint that had once been vibrant but had now faded in the sun and open air upon their roofs. Five huts with little dragon figureheads upon them. Five huts, with sides beginning to rot and cave in. 

Nuffink sprinted his way down that cliff face with the agility of a mountain goat; leaping off boulders like there was no tomorrow. Toothful was behind him still—but Nuffink had no wish to take the easy way and simply glide down. 

He entered the first hut that he came to. Its once bright red roof was now a dull pinkish color, but the design was unmistakable. It was his father’s handiwork, and the Night Fury figure did nothing but confirm that. 

Nuffink ran his hand along the side of the decaying framework. He came to the door, and after taking a deep breath he pushed it. The hinges creaked with old age, and a musty smell at once wafted to Nuffink’s nose, but he stepped inside, nonetheless. 

The inside was dingy, but from the broken lamps and a desk Nuffink could tell that this was once his father’s great brainstorming center. Some old designs were still lay crumpled up in the waste basket next to the desk—Nuffink pulled one out and smoothed it upon the dusty floor. 

It was notes, and the sight of Hiccup’s handwriting brought tears to Nuffink’s eyes. He wiped them away quickly, not wanting to stain the paper. 

His eyes scanned the slightly ripped up page, and he realized they were not just notes on a project of some sort—they were his father’s plans to propose to his mother. 

Astrid, the paper read. We’ve known each other since we were children and have been dating—that word was crossed out and replaced with ‘going out’--for a couple years. I would like to—a shift in his father’s handwriting, making it more slanted, told Nuffink that Hiccup had paused to think for some time on this next part—and I would like to propose we—another scribbled out bit--I would like to make it permanent. Will you—then the writing trailed off, and Nuffink supposed that was when his father had torn the page out of his notebook and crumpled it in frustration. 

“Nuffink?” A voice startled Nuffink, and he hastily shoved the paper in his pants’ pocket. Zephyr stood silhoutted against the rising sun in the doorway. “Nuffink, what’re you doing down here? I thought you were looking for—is this where I think it is?” She did a double take upon closer inspection. 

“Yes,” Nuffink said, his voice far higher than it usually was. “It is, it’s Dragon’s Edge. We made it here, Zeph, can ye believe tha’?” 

“Not if I wasn’t seeing it,” She said, awed. She started rustling through Hiccup’s old papers and muttering about the designs. Her fingers traced through the dust of the desk to find where her father’s pencil’s tip had scratched the wood. “This place...it’s got so much or our family’s history, Fink.” 

“More than you know,” He murmured, thinking about the paper he had hidden in his pocket. He would share it—just not now. “But I was thinkin’ I could fin’ some leather an’ whatnot fer me bow down a’ the forge.” 

“You know where that is?” Zephyr frowned at him. 

“No, but I can fin’ it. Jus’ gimme a bit, I’ll be back in an hour or two. You keep looking at Dad’s old plans that fascinate ye so.” That was all he said as he headed out of that hut, and that was all Zephyr needed to dive back into this new source of knowledge. 

Nuffink’s path down the cliffs was a short one—not that he took the path that had clearly been beaten down by many feet, dragon and human, (Though by now it was starting to grow over again). His path was one of shrieks of delight and the feeling of wind in his hair, his legs gripping Toothful’s sides and his hands up above his head as they sped towards the earth. 

The sunlight glinted off the water, making spots dance in Nuffink’s eyes, but he cared not. The trees swayed with the force off Toothful’s beating wings when he pulled up out of his dive. A quick bank to the right; and Nuffink hopped lightly off Toothful’s back and onto the solid rock of what was one of the few laid paths. 

“Righ’, this shoul’ be where tha’ old forge o’ Da and Uncle Fishlegs’ was, an’ if there’s gonna be leather anywhere, it’s here.” There was no door. Apparently, Hiccup had thought the forge should be an open area. Little weeds and grasses grew out of cracks in the old chimney—a fire hazard that amused Nuffink, for reasons he himself wasn’t entirely sure of. 

Toothful rumbled happily, then shuffled off back into the woods. That didn’t worry Nuffink overmuch; the dragon was most definitely able to care for itself. He figured Toothful just wanted to chase squirrels or something—did dragons chase squirrels? Nuffink was certain that if they did, they would be far more effective than the dogs that roamed the village. But that was far off track, so Nuffink shook his head to clear it and began searching for leather. 

He opened and rifled through drawers, finding plans that were written in a mix of Hiccup and Fishlegs’ handwriting. A few chunks of an orange amber substance were littered about, and there were little flakes of metal everywhere. 

Nuffink could see that there had once been labels on the drawers and cupboards, but the ink that had given them meaning was long since faded. It took a solid five minutes to find the leather strips—of course they were in the last place he looked—and when he did, there were only a few that were usable. Still, that was enough. 

The next step was finding a large enough chunk of wood, which was a far easier task than the leather search had been. The forests were chock-full of the stuff, obviously, and a quick sawing through a recently fallen pine delivered the desired material. Nuffink’s long fingers made swift work of making the basic bow shape—he figured he could make more intricate designs at a later date, with all sorts of runes, and maybe even little dragons if he wished to put in the effort. 

He trudged his way back to his and Zephyr’s agreed meeting place, wondering vaguely where Toothful had gotten off too. He made it all the way back to the top of the cliff before that was answered, when something large and scaly his him full force in the back. 

Nuffink found his face planted firmly in the dirt, and he felt claws digging into his back. For a split second, the image of one of his childhood friends being ripped to shreds by a Death Gripper ran through his mind, and his breathing picked up speed as he flipped himself over with all the strength in his small body and lunged up at his attacker. 

The confused face of Toothful greeted him—the dragon had thought this was a friendly welcome and was disturbed greatly by the small human’s reaction. A soft roar asked the question as well as any human could have. 

Nuffink felt terrible and scared and tired all at once. “Sorry ‘bout tha’,” He muttered, getting to his feet and scratching the dragon’s head apologetically. “But ye shouldn’ scare me, aight buddy boy?” 

Toothful, glad to be forgiven for the apparent crime he had committed, rumbled happily, then rolled over on his side to show that Nuffink was fully allowed to return the rough greeting if he so desired. 

The human hesitated for a second, then shrugged, laughed, and flopped onto the dragon’s white belly. “Stop bein’ cute, yer ruinin’ me reputation as a tough Vikin’ boy.” 

“What reputation?” Zephyr’s entrance was one of shoving some branches aside and walking over as fast as she could while picking burrs and other prickly things out of her clothing. “You’re, like, the softest Viking to ever exist. Get over yourself.” 

“’Scuse me, but I’m the mos’ terrifyin’ thin’ to ever happen to New Berk.” 

“Hm.” She said, not sounding at all convinced. “Well, we’ll just tell Karn that when we find him, and he should back down. For now, let’s get some sleep, hey?” 

“Sleep is for the weak,” Nuffink huffed. 

“I am very, very weak,” Zephyr responded. With that, she lay down on a grassy patch next to Aura and didn’t move for the rest of the day—for they had the plan to travel at night for cover. 

Nuffink stuck his tongue out at her, then followed suit.


	9. When The Black banners Raise As The Crooked Smiles Fade

“Nuffink, how long have we been flying?” Zephyr asked, rubbing her eyes. The moon hung low over the ocean, a great benevolent figure amidst the doom of their situation. “The moon barely seems higher than it was when we left, but it’s felt like an age. My legs are sore from all this flying, how do you have as much energy as you do?” 

“I’m not an ol’ bat,” He said immediately, flying upside down over her head and yanking on one of her braids. “An’ ye’d have this much energy too, if ye could properly ‘preciate the flyin’, rather than thinkin’ of it as a means to an end.” 

“But it is a means to an end,” Zephyr pointed out. “If this works, we’re headed back home, right, Nuffink?” 

Nuffink did not respond from his place a bit ahead. Toothful evened out his flight pattern, and Nuffink—still not answering his sister—pulled out the bow he had made the day before. His knife was produced from its sheath, and soon his name was carved into the side of the bow: Nuffink Hiraeth Haddock. 

“Right, Nuffink?” Zephyr said, with a bit more emphasis. 

“Yeh,” He said, as noncommittedly as he could. “Yeh, I know. Right on back we’ll go. Yep.” 

“You don’t sound very convinced.” 

Nuffink just hummed a bit of an old Viking tune, carving the rest of his titles into the bow. Son of the Chief, Child of Hiccup Haddock and Astrid Hofferson, Future General at Arms—that last one was an assigned title that he had always planned on giving up, but it sounded good anyway. He thought for a moment. Rider of the NightLight. There, now it had a whole host of nice-sounding titles 

“Nuffink, I swear, if you leave me after all this is over, I will kill you.” Zephyr grumbled, nudging Aura so she sped up. “You promise to stay with me?” 

“I promise I’ll stay, if tha’ is wha’ it takes ta make ye happy,” He sighed, finally agreeing. 

“Thank you,” She sighed in relief before she and Aura fell back again to give Nuffink space. 

The water below reflected the stars perfectly, like a mirror. The moon was tinted yellow that night, big and full. Nothing blocked the sight of it, nothing until-- 

“Zephyr,” Nuffink said urgently, after spending several minutes squinting at the horizon. “Zephyr, I think we found ‘im.” 

“But we’re nowhere near New Berk,” Zephyr pulled up next to him again. “What happened to all your speculation?” 

“Karn must really think we’re dead,” Nuffink shrugged and nocked one of the arrows he had made out of the wood left over from the bow. The tip did not in the dim light, for its head was of stone rather than the metal that was more commonly used. “It’s good, though. Now we don’ have tae worry ‘bout him bein’ near everyone else.” 

Zephyr sat up straighter on Aura’s back. “You make a good point, for once. Do we go in now?” 

“Are ye comf’torble enough wi’ Da’s sword to fight?” Nuffink twisted so he could see her face, just one more time if this went wrong. 

“If that look in your eye says anything,” Zephyr smiled slightly. “I better be.” 

Nuffink returned the smile, then bent low over Toothful’s back and dove. 

They burst through the cloud and streaked towards the sea, pulling up at the last second so that a fine mist of water sprayed them, but no proper waves were made. They glided low over the barely rippling surface of the water. The dragons had gotten enough momentum that no beating of wings was needed, and with their riders bent almost parallel to their backs there was no significant increase in air resistance. 

The ships and the Riders got closer and closer to their opponent, only one group aware of the other’s existence. 

Nuffink and Zephyr glanced around in horrified awe as they slipped between one ship and another. Cages lined the decks of the fleet, and grappling hooks outfitted the rails. The scars of dragons’ claws decorated the sides of the ships, remnants of fleeting escape attempts by dragons of all sizes. Scorch marks were scattered over every surface, wood or metal, visible—and probably that which was not seen, as well. 

Zephyr did notice one thing, however, and that was that all the scratches and burns looked old. Clearly, Karn was in the business of revenge, not dragon hunting. There were of course, the monsters—No, she reminded herself. Death Grippers—perched upon the masts and crow’s nests, but those seemed more like attack dogs than captives. Their eyes, unlike the other dragons that Zephyr had met, did not hold intelligence and a willingness to compromise but malice, anger, a desire to kill whatever they sighted. 

They glided over the surface of the water with a stealth comparable to ghosts—that is, Nuffink and Toothful bumped into the sides of several ships before getting the hang of weaving between them. Zephyr winced upon each impact, certain that they would bring doom upon them immediatley. 

Yet, they remained unnoticed, a feat which astonished Zephyr and gave Nuffink a reason to be cocky. The boy did a couple loops and barrel rolls, ignoring his sister’s hissed commands to stop. “The losers runnin’ these things are dumb ‘nough to not no’ice me bein’ an ass, Zeph! How much damage coul’ a couple tricks cause?” 

“A whole lot.” The voice that answered Nuffink did not belong to his sister. “Because, fortunately—for me, not you--I am more observant than my men. How come you two are not dead?” 

Karn glared at the two hovering dragons and Riders from his vantage point upon the deck on the last ship. 

“Because you did it dramatically rather than quickly,” Zephyr said, glaring right back up at him. “You should have just slit our throats or something—much more efficient, and you would be absolutely sure we were gone for good. You just had to be flamboyant, though. My dad always said you Hunters were.” 

“But, my dear Haddock,” Karn flashed his crooked grin for mere seconds. “I am not a Hunter. Hunters were in the business of seeking dragons out, then catching and selling them—or their remains, it didn’t really matter. But I? I am a fisher.” 

“Is tha’ a pun ‘bout our name?” Nuffink’s brow creased. 

“It is a fact. Since most dragons are now hidden, my Death Grippers must survive on fish. But you are right. It has a bit of irony in it, does it not?” Karn chuckled a tiny bit. “Now, about killing you. Yes, you are right. I will not repeat my previous mistakes.” 

“Please don’t,” Zephyr said, realizing that she really had just given her enemy a tip. The fact that he was smart enough to have already thought of this was little to no comfort to her. “Ignore me. I’m an idiot.” 

“Ye really are.” Nuffink muttered, but Zephyr didn’t react, so he assumed she hadn’t heard. 

“Archers!” Karn shouted. 

In a second the siblings found themselves the targets for hundreds and hundreds of arrows. They began whistling through the air and hitting the wooden side boards with dull thunks. Nuffink and Zephyr dove quickly to avoid them, even dipping below the water and coming up someplace else. 

“What now?” Nuffink yelled over the drumming of metal into wood. 

“They’ll run out of arrows eventually!” Zephyr yelled back as she and Aura twirled out of the way of a harpoon. “And, hopefully harpoons, too.” 

“Will they, though?” Nuffink retorted, before shouting in terror when an arrow grazed his cheek. “Holy Thor—Zeph!” 

“What do you want me to do?” She demanded, twirling out of the way of another grappling hook. 

“Stop them!” 

“Fine!” Aura swooped up and over the deck of Karn’s ship, the world flipping upside down around her. A few arrows zipped around, but for a few moments, time itself slowed for her. The harsh landing upon the wooden ship did not jar her as others had—no, she had her sword out and ready to fight. Nothing was going to stop her now. 

Karn calmly turned to face her. “And what, pray tell, are you doing?” He blinked a few times. “It is over, Haddock. I have the high ground.” 

“Really?” Nuffink and Toothful flapped up so they were eye-level with Karn, just a few feet off the port side of the ship. “I don’ see wha’ ye mean there, buddy. We got two Furies righ’ on ye, an ye go on ‘bout bein’ ‘boutta win. It jus’ doesn’ seem righ’ ta me, tha’s all.” 

“You’re a fool if you think I did not plan for this,” Karn snorted. He gave a short, sharp whistle, eyes glinting. The storm of projectiles ceased, and for a breath, everything was silent. 

Then all hell broke loose. 

Screaming Death Grippers circled above the siblings, diving down one by one, tails ready to plunge into them or their dragons. Saliva dripped from their prominent fangs, and their eyes glittered with malice. 

“Zephyr!” Nuffink screamed, flying towards her. This was against his instinct—which was to run screaming like a baby in the other direction—but Zephyr had frozen, terrified of the oncoming beasts that had been the nightmares of her childhood. “Zephyr, move!” 

She snapped back to reality just in time to avoid the jaws of the nearest Gripper, which had been about to bite her clean in two. Another lunged at her from the other side—despite Nuffink and Toothful firing at them with everything they had, the creatures kept on accumulating around her, like vultures going after a corpse. Nuffink jumped off the dragon’s back and stumbled across the wooden planks of the deck. 

Nuffink howled. He howled like he did the day his parents died, with all the rage and misery that he thought he would never feel again. This—rather than all other things—this scared the dragons away. 

Or so he thought. 

For two glorious moments, he thought that his sister was home free, safe, and they would be able to return to their fight and emerge victorious. 

But rarely do such hopeful fantasies come true. 

Zephyr did look up, yes. 

She did look back up to see Nuffink. To see her brother’s green eyes watching her intently, hoping beyond all hope that she was alright. 

She did not recognize him. 

Her bright blue eyes, so reminiscent of the mother they had lost, showed no sign of recognition, of alright-ness. They were glazed over, staring at Nuffink blankly, almost as if she were seeing right through him. 

“...Zephyr?” Nuffink said nervously. He didn’t think about Karn in that moment—though he was standing right behind Nuffink, with a self-satisfied smiled across his thin features—no, Nuffink was focused wholely upon his sister. “Zephyr, talk to me.” 

“It’s no use,” Karn took this opportunity to take Nuffink’s attention back. “She’s mine now.” 

“Wha’ does tha’ mean?” Nuffink demanded, whipping around to face him. “Wha’ does tha’ mean?” 

“It means that I was right when I said I had the high ground.” Karn said calmly, looking at the enraged teenager before him. “You should not underestimate your enemies, Haddock. It does no one any good.” 

“Wha’ are you goin’ ta do now, then?” Nuffink panted, using every bit of restraint he had not to tackle the leering man in front of him. “Kill us?” 

“Oh, no,” Karn grinned and snapped his fingers. “One of you is going to kill the other. I look forward to seeing who goes first.” 

“Wha-” Nuffink took a step back towards where Zephyr still stood, glassy eyed. “Wha’ do ye mean by tha’--” 

His question was answered in the most undesirable way possible: an attack. Not by the Death Grippers, no—by Zephyr. While Nuffink’s back was turned to her she lunged, and on her bare left arm was a wound that clearly showed a purple substance getting into her bloodstream. 

Nuffink rolled over and saw that wound, and realization hit. “Zephyr! Zephyr, stop!” He screamed, completely aware that it was a lost cause. The venom in his sister’s veins was going to keep her fully under Karn’s control until it wore off—and by then it would be too late for Nuffink. 

Nuffink managed to wriggle out from Zephyr’s death grip and jumped on Toothful. His dread only increased when he saw that Aura was also drugged, giving Zephyr easy access to his only refuge—the sky. 

He and Toothful burst through the clouds, spinned around plasma blasts from the pursuing siblings. “Just a ‘lil longer, buddy, we’re jus’ gonna have ta--” Nuffink’s words were cut off by another shot, one that hit his leg. He let out a scream of agony, clutching desperately with one hand to the burned flesh. 

The pain was so great that he felt blinded—he could not force his eyes to open, and it was only by the grace of the gods that he did not fall off of Toothful’s back. 

Nuffink managed to grit his teeth and look up. Zephyr and Aura were close behind him and Toothful, leaving him with few options. 

Toothful yelped—a sound that up until now Nuffink had not had the opportunity to associate with dragons—and lurched forward a little. Nuffink’s head snapped around to see that Aura—her eyes as glazed looking as Zephyr’s--had taken her proximity to her brother’s tail to bite it. “Ye might wanna speed up there, buddy boy,” Nuffink murmured, doing his best not to pass out. His leg throbbed, but when he looked down, he was sickened to discover something. 

Where his leg should have been was a charred stump. His pant leg was smoking, and the pain he was feeling was something called ghost pains—yet another thing he had learned of from his father. 

Nuffink’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of his mangled body and his vision blurred. He would have been lost then and there—if not for Karn, ironically. The man’s sharp command whistle got bot Nuffink and Zephyr’s attention. Nuffink did his best to ignore the pangs—adrenaline probably had a good deal to do with it—and pulled Toothful up into the clouds. 

A game of hide and seek ensued: a twisted version of what Nuffink had played with his father all those years ago in the woods of his home. There was no comforting scent of pine trees and dirt, this time, though. Only the rancid stench of dragons kept in enclosed spaces and burning flesh—even more horrific when it was his own. The clouds provided shelter, but an immense amount of maneuvering was needed as well; it seemed that Karn was aware of the Furies’ ability to echo-locate. Purple rings passed over and around Toothful and his Rider, each coming just slightly closer—but never quite close enough. 

There was no stopping the mindless Aura and Zephyr, though. Under the influence of the Death Gripper’s venom, it would take strength greater than what Nuffink had the heart to do to his sister. 

The inevitable finally happened: Aura’s echolocation picked up on Toothful’s tail, and it was then that the battle really began. Shots were fired from the once-friendly NightLight, and the escape movements became more and more desperate. 

At last, there was nowhere else to go. Toothful pulled up short, nearly throwing the still disoriented Nuffink off of his back. They had come right up against a sea stack. It had managed to escape their notice, simply because both boy and dragon were scared nearly out of their wits. 

Nuffink looked back at his sister who was fast approaching, his green eyes wide and his hair whipping around his face in the wind. He hesitated for vital seconds while Aura prepared what would surely be the fatal shot. 

It never came. 

Toothful shot a plasma blast faster than Nuffink could think, and it was then that several things happened at once. 

Aura was struck. She and Zephyr plummeted towards the icy depths of the cold North Sea, an unforgiving undertaker that would never return them. 

Nuffink let out a scream of rage and misery so high-pitched that no human ears could hear it—dragons could, but no dragon had any pity for that small viking boy on that deadly evening. 

Except Toothful. He made a small rumble of apology, but no acknowledgement of it came from Nuffink, who, with tears streaming down his face as well as rain, forced the dragon to dive, dive for Karn’s fleet. 

“He’s gonna regret it,” Nuffink hissed, squinting furiously at the ships he was streaking towards. “He’s gonna regret goin’ back to those stupid wooden ships of yore.” A second was all it took for him to find what he was looking for: oil. 

Huge vats of the stuff were kept onboard the lead ship, most likely to fuel some dastardly invention of Karn or his father’s. Toothful rammed into the thing head-on, knocking it over. 

A ripple of black shimmery stuff oozed all over the deck, making the crew of the ship wrinkle their noses in disgust, but nothing more. No, the real attack was the single blast from Toothful that set it all ablaze. Flames leapt from ship to ship until the entirety of the fleet was one large funeral pyre. 

Heeding no the screams of the unfortunate sailors, Nuffink and Toothful spun around and sped back to Karn’s ship. It had not escaped the raging fire—in fact, if anything, it was the hottest here. The flames burned a deep red as if reflecting the anger that coursed through Nuffink’s veins. As Zephyr had been enslaved by the venom of the Death Grippers, so now was Nuffink by his own emotions. 

As soon as Toothful’s talons hit the deck, Nuffink had slid off and approached Karn, who was kneeling, doubled over by a horrible racking cough as his lungs tried to rid themselves of the thick plumes of smoke. 

“Ye,” Nuffink spat, standing above him. “Ye attacked me village, killin’ dozens o’ innocen’ people. Ye took my parents, ye tried to kill me, and ye succeeded in killin’ me sister. Gimme one reason I should no’ cut yer heart ou’ righ’ this instan’.” 

Karn raised his head slowly to look Nuffink dead in the eyes. “I do not regret it, boy. My father is avenged three times over by the death of your family—and if I must die at the hands of the last Haddock, then so be it.” He pushed himself up so that his chest was a clear target. 

The knife that had for so long hung unused from Nuffink’s belt was tugged violently out of its sheath. Nuffink took a deep breath, steadying the blade above his victim’s chest. 

He looked at Karn’s face. He looked into the face of a man that he realized was not unlike himself—driven by fury to destroy the ones that took his family. 

He looked at him, and he saw himself. 

Green eyes met green eyes, as they seemed destined to do in that life. 

Nuffink lowered the knife slowly, his knuckles turning white from gripping the handle so hard. He took deep, panting breaths as he tried to fathom how his resolve could have failed him in this critical moment. 

But perhaps the two were not as alike as Nuffink had concluded, for Karn had not lost his resolve. A quick jump was all it took to knock Nuffink over, and the two began rolling across the flaming floor in a deadly wrestling match. Nuffink bit and kicked as the older man tried to wrangle the knife away from him. 

In an instant, everything was over. 

Nuffink managed somehow to get on top of Karn, and this time he did not hesitate. The knife plunged into the man’s chest. There was a split second of peace in which Karn’s face showed absolute shock, and then he lay still. 

Nuffink slowly pulled the knife out of the man’s chest, watching in horrified rapture as the blood—no longer stoppered by the blade—began to stream out, running all over the scorched deck. Some that had clung to the blade dripped down and covered Nuffink’s hands, and his knees were splattered with the stuff. 

He stumbled a few feet backwards. Or, at least he tried to. When he tried to put his weight on his left leg, he was painfully reminded that nothing remained of it but a burned stump when he fell on his rear right into a nasty patch of flame. He yelped and scrambled away. “Toothful? Toothful, please, buddy, help, we gotta—gotta get out, please, where are you-?” 

Talons grabbed him, accompanied by a roar or frustration. Nuffink flinched, blinking away his tears so that he could look up and make sure it really was Toothful. It was, fortunately. The dragon’s strong wing beats carried him up and out of the flames, dragging him away from where Karn still lay, staring up at nothing as his blood stained the wooden planks. 

Toothful dropped Nuffink on the ledge of the sea stack where just minutes before they had been cornered. The dragon growled at him, then gestured with his head at a large boulder a few yards away. 

“Wha’ on earth do ye think tha’ boulder’s gonna do for me?” Nuffink whispered, propping himself up against the firm rocky wall so conveniently placed. “I don’...I can’ go on wi’ this anymore, bud...please, go back to yer home. I’ll stay here--” 

Toothful looked outraged and shoved Nuffink rudely towards the boulder. 

Except, it wasn’t a boulder. 

It was a dragon. But not just any dragon—Aura. And she was still breathing. 

Nuffink hopped around as fast as he could so that he was in front of the dragon. He fell to his knees, looking at the creature that lay before him with wings folded. He was hoping, almost, that Zephyr would appear behind him, like she always used to in their games. 

She didn’t. 

“This is all my fault,” He said, staring down at the ground. A few brave bits of grass grew from the rocks, but nothing else. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Tears began to run down his face yet again. 

Aura rumbled and looked up at him. Her clear blue eyes—for clear they were, rid of all effects of the venom—blinked at him, once, twice before she unfolded her wings to reveal a familiar red-headed girl. 

Nuffink’s intake of breath was so sharp it hurt. He scrambled forward and scooped his sister’s motionless form into his arms. He pressed an ear to her chest to check for those vital signs of life, and to his surprise there was a shallow but steady rise and fall of breath. 

He laughed wetly in relief and hugged her tightly to himself, rocking back and forth and letting his tears fall freely. 

Zephyr woke up, slowly. First was the feeling of being hugged by someone wet, and then it was the rain falling upon her, and then she opened her eyes to see Nuffink full-on sobbing. “Fink?” She whispered hoarsely. “Fink, what’s happening?” 

Nuffink let her back onto the ground so she could sit up. “I’m sorry,” He choked out. “’M sorry, ‘m sorry--” He hugged his knee—to Zephyr’s horror she realized only one was left—and continued rocking back and forth, back and forth. 

“Nuffink,” She said, feeling the rising panic that had become commonplace over the past few weeks. “Nuffink, what happened?” 

Her brother got to his foot slowly, shakily, using the wall to balance himself. “Gods, ‘m so sorry, Zeph,” He wiped his face, but as his sleeve was wet, it didn’t do any good. “I sh-shot ye down, ‘m sorry--” 

“Nuffink,” She said firmly, gripping him by the shoulders. “I was under the control of venom, right? It’s not your fault, then—what is on you?” Her voice increased in pitch, ending in something that might have been a shriek. 

Nuffink stumbled back and away from her as she looked at her hands—now covered with the blood that was all over Nuffink. “I’m SORRY!” He shouted one last time, before swinging himself onto Toothful and taking off. 

“Nuffink!” Zephyr screamed. “Nuffink, come back!” She jumped onto Aura and started after him, but they soon lost track of their brothers in the fog. “Fink,” Zephyr said softly, looking at the burning carnage that her brother left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that was my longest chapter!


	10. And In The End

Nuffink’s tears streamed down his face until he could no longer tell the difference between that and the rain. Eventually, the clouds cleared, and Nuffink was free to cry under the faint light of the stars. Toothful’s steady wingbeats were the only thing that broke the silence, marking the seconds as evenly as a clock’s ticks and tocks. 

The great waterfall appeared on the horizon, the spritz crashing and making a fine mist. Nuffink clung to Toothful as they plunged over, speeding into the welcoming darkness. 

After they evened out, it took only moments for a couple dragons—curious, no doubt—to begin flying next to the returning prince of dragons—and that weird boy. By the time Toothful glided into the cavern with the crystal, a whole congregation of dragons were going with them, landing on the rocks to watch as their prince carried that odd child right up to where the King was presiding. 

Toothful skidded to a stop in front of Toothless, bowing his head as his father took a good sniff at him to make sure he was well. 

Nuffink slid off Toothful’s back and just sat there on the softly glowing rock, his head bent. Tears would surely be coming if he had any left—but he didn’t, so he just sat there in silence until something sniffed at his hear and rumbled softly. 

He looked up into the face of Toothless, and the green eyes of the dragon seemed to hold a sort of understanding. Nuffink reached out and pet his nose, then gave in and hugged Toothless around the neck. “I’m sorry,” He croaked out yet again. “I’m sorry I lost him.” 

The two sat there for several minutes, commiserating the loss of a father, a warrior, a friend. There was no cure for this grief--only solitary. 

\------ 

Zephyr had two options: Pursue her brother, or go back to Berk. Berk was the closer of the two—and the more surely found. She guided Aura this time, for the dragon didn’t know the way. 

The familiar cliffs of her home made her choke up, and she desperately wished that Nuffink was there. But he wasn’t, so she and Aura swooped alone through the night sky, landing on top of the great hall. 

A passerby saw her, letting out a shout. A great crowd of Vikings gathered, murmuring in awe at the dragon and Viking perched upon their roof. “It is Hiccup, come back to us!” One shouted, obviously not noticing the patches of white on Aura or the braids that adorned Zephyr’s head. 

Zephyr took a deep breath. “No,” She called down, before the crowd could begin a cheer. “No, it’s only Zephyr Haddock. It’s not Hiccup. It’s only me.” 

Silence. 

Valka stepped forward. “Only you? But, Zephyr, you’ve returned to us, and with a dragon, no less. Come down, now, and tell us what ever happened.” 

\--------- 

Nuffink lay on the rocky ledge alone. Toothful had gone out flying—he was sure the dragon would have no objection to taking him along, but, oddly enough, he did not feel like flying that day. Plus, it was hellish trying to drag himself along with only the one leg. He sighed and lifted up the stump of a limb, gazing at it with some degree of repulsion. 

A now-familiar skitter of claws came from beside him, and Nuffink looked up, fully expecting to see the friendly face of Toothful blinking down at him. 

It wasn’t Toothful, though—in fact, it was the last dragon Nuffink was expecting to see: Aura. “What’re ye doin’ here?” He murmured, looking the black and white Fury over. “Why aren’ ye with Z-Zephyr?” His words tripped over his sister’s name, which over the past week or so had become a rather painful reminder rather than the name of a family member. 

He looked at Aura for a second longer before noticing a package on her front leg. “Wha’s this?” He whispered, tugging it off carefully. It was a letter, and something else wrapped in brown paper. He opened the letter first. 

_Dear Nuffink _, His sister’s handwriting was much like his father’s when Nuffink had read that letter at the edge. _You kept saying you were sorry, when last I saw you. I think you were apologizing for knocking me and Aura out of the sky—which, given the circumstances, I do not think you need to apologize for.__ _

__

__

__Or maybe you were saying ‘sorry’ about killing Karn. In that case, why? He was trying to kill us—it's like dad always said: A Chief Protects His Own. You had every right to do what you did, and I’m sorry for not saying so at the time._ _

__To that end, please come back. Gran misses you—as does the rest of the village. I need you by my side, Nuffink._ _

__But I guess something changed about you during our journey, didn’t it?_ _

__You grew up, I think. You stopped being the kid brother you always have been, even throughout the war. You became a warrior, an adult that can stand his own ground—and I don’t think I was ready for that, when we last talked. But I see it now. And I’m sorry._ _

__So, if you want to stay with the dragons, do not feel pressured by me to come back to New Berk._ _

__But please, please, do not stay away for good._ _

__I love you, Nuffink. __Zephyr H. Haddock_ _ __

__

___Nuffink looked up from the page with tears in his eyes, tears that he thought he was rid of. He folded the paper carefully—somehow, in a whole week, this was the first time he noticed that he still had Karn’s blood on his hands and under his nails. He washed them off in a nearby trickle of water, wiping his face while he was at it.  
Next, he opened the package. He immediately recognized the contents—one of his father’s peg legs. It looked a lot like an earlier model, though. There was another note. _ _ _

____Hey again,_ _ _ _

____This was dad’s first leg. Gran thinks it’ll fit you, so I hope it does. I don’t want you just hopping around those caves, little brother._ _ _ _

____I’m glad Toothful saved you. Well, most of you._ _ _ _

____See you soon?  
Zephyr ____ _ _

_____“You bet you will,” Nuffink murmured, a grin escaping him despite himself. He stuck his leg out and began attatching the metal to it. It felt cold, and foreign, but when he stood up and put his weight on it, there was not pitching forward like there had been before. He heaved a sigh of relief._ _ _ _ _

_____He wasn’t ready to go back just yet—no, not until he got used to walking. Nor maybe until this guilt for taking another human being’s life—no matter how evil a one—faded. But he would go back._ _ _ _ _

_____Someday._ _ _ _ _


End file.
